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Could Minnesota reach the Big Ten title game? It's not as crazy as it might seem
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- Could Minnesota reach the Big Ten title game? It's not as crazy as it might seem
Could Minnesota reach the Big Ten title game? It's not as crazy as it might seem originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Could Minnesota reach the Big Title game and possibly qualify for the College Football Playoff?
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It's not as crazy as it might seem.
A Golden Gophers team that was blown out at Purdue on Oct. 10 somehow has a path to the Big Ten title game and the playoff berth that comes with winning that game. PJ Fleck's squad gave itself a fighting chance with a last-second 13-10 win over Iowa last Saturday.
Minnesota (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) now is in solid position, despite not even being ranked in this week's AP Top 25. Just three teams are ahead of the Gophers in the conference standings -- UCLA at 5-0, Ohio State at 4-0 and Indiana at 4-1. Northwestern and Wisconsin are tied with Minnesota at 3-1.
Here's where it gets interesting.
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Up next for the Gophers is an Indiana team that suddenly is struggling to score. Granted, it's a road game and Indiana is a tough place to play. But Ohio State beat the Hoosiers there, so their aura of invincibility is gone. Indiana scored just 13 points last week and had to go to overtime to beat Michigan -- a team Minnesota has also beaten.
After that, the Golden Gophers play UCLA. The Bruins are unbeaten, but far less explosive since starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava went down for the season with a torn ACL late in the first half against Oregon. They scored 17 points against Oregon and Wisconsin and 28 against Michigan State. They are still tough, but not unbeatable.
If the Gophers can survive at Penn State, they close at home against Northwestern and at Wisconsin. That means they play every team ahead of or tied with them except Ohio State.
Ah, the Buckeyes. They lead he conference, but they also are rolling out a backup quarterback after Julian Sayin's right arm/elbow injury. And their schedule isn't easy. They visit USC on Saturday, host Oregon and Northwestern, revisit a revitalized Nebraska squad and close at home against rival Michigan, which has one of the nation's stingiest defenses. One or more losses is a distinct possibility.
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Looking at all those situations, suddenly, Minnesota in the Big Ten title game doesn't seem crazy after all. So many teams are down to their second quarterback, yet Minnesota's Drake Lindsey just keeps plugging along.
A lot has to happen, but it's been a strange season. As we know, anything is possible in 2026.
